Claressa Shields facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Claressa Shields
Shields at Collision 2022
Born	Claressa Maria Shields (1995-03-17) March 17, 1995 (age 30) Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Nickname(s)	T-Rex, GWOAT
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Division	Light middleweight (Boxing) Middleweight (Boxing) Super middleweight (Boxing) Light heavyweight (Boxing) Heavyweight (Boxing) Lightweight (MMA) (2021–present)
Reach	68 in (173 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Team	Jackson Wink MMA Academy (2020–2024) (MMA)
Years active	2016–present
Professional boxing record
Total	17
Wins	17
By knockout	3
Mixed martial arts record
Total	3
Wins	2
By knockout	1
By decision	1
Losses	1
By decision	1
Medal record Representing the  United States Women's amateur boxing Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Middleweight Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Middleweight Youth World Championships Gold 2013 Albena Middleweight World Championships Gold 2014 Jeju Middleweight Gold 2016 Astana Middleweight Pan American Games Gold 2015 Toronto Light heavyweight American Continental Championships Gold 2012 Cornwall Middleweight Gold 2014 Guadalajara Middleweight U.S. National Championships Gold 2014 Spokane Middleweight Gold 2015 Spokane Middleweight U.S. National Junior Olympics Gold 2010 Camp Lejeune Light Middleweight Gold 2011 Mobile Light Middleweight National PAL Championships Gold 2011 Toledo Middleweight Gold 2012 Toledo Middleweight U.S. Olympic Trials Gold 2012 Airway Heights Middleweight Gold 2015 Memphis Middleweight Pan American Olympic Festival Gold 2014 Mexico City Middleweight American Olympic Qualifying Gold 2016 Buenos Aires Middleweight

Claressa Maria Shields (born March 17, 1995) is an American professional boxer. She is known as "T-Rex" and "GWOAT" (Greatest Woman Of All Time). Claressa has won 18 major world championships in five different weight classes. This includes being the undisputed champion in light middleweight, middleweight (twice), and heavyweight. She also held titles in super middleweight and light heavyweight.

Shields holds the record for becoming a world champion in two, three, four, and five weight divisions in the fewest professional fights. As of October 2022, she was ranked the world's best active female middleweight by BoxRec. ESPN and The Ring magazine also ranked her as the best active female boxer, pound for pound.

Claressa Shields is the only boxer in history, male or female, to hold all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) in three different weight classes. She is also one of only three female boxers to become a champion in five different divisions.

In her amazing amateur career, Shields won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the middleweight division. This made her the first American boxer to win two Olympic medals in a row. She was the youngest boxer at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and became the first American woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal.

Shields also competed as a professional mixed martial artist for a time.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Claressa Shields was born and grew up in Flint, Michigan. Her father, Bo Shields, had boxed in underground leagues and introduced her to the sport. When Claressa was nine, her father told her about the famous boxer Laila Ali, which made her very interested in boxing.

At first, her father thought boxing was only for men and didn't want her to do it. But when she was eleven, she started training at the Berston Field House in Flint. There, she met her coach, Jason Crutchfield. Claressa says her grandmother encouraged her not to let her gender stop her from following her dreams.

Amateur Boxing Career

Becoming an Olympic Champion

After winning some regional titles and two Junior Olympic Championships, Claressa Shields entered her first open-division tournament in 2011. She won the middleweight title at the National Police Athletic League Championships and was named the top overall fighter. This also qualified her for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

At the 2012 Olympic Trials, she beat several top boxers to win the middleweight class. In April 2012, she won her weight class at the Women's Elite Continental Championships. At this point, she had an amazing record of 25 wins and 0 losses.

In May 2012, a rule change meant Claressa needed to place in the top two from her region at the World Boxing Championships to qualify for the Olympics. She won her first fight but lost her second to Savannah Marshall of England. This was her first and only loss in her amateur career, making her record 26 wins and 1 loss.

However, because Marshall made it to the finals, Claressa earned a spot in the 2012 London Olympics. At just 17 years old, she won the gold medal in the women's middleweight division. She beat Russian boxer Nadezda Torlopova 19–12, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal.

Shields with her Olympic gold medal in 2012

More Gold Medals

In October 2012, she won another gold medal at the National PAL Championships. In 2013, she won gold at the IBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Bulgaria.

In 2014, Shields won gold at the U.S. National Championships. She also won gold at the Pan American Olympic Festival and the Elite Women's Continental Championships. She then won another gold medal at the World Championships in South Korea. The next year, she became the first American to win titles at both the Olympics and the Pan American Games in women's boxing. She was even chosen to be Team USA's flag bearer at the 2015 Pan American Games closing ceremony.

Shields (in red) vs. Yenebier Guillén Benítez, 2015

Claressa defended her gold at the 2015 U.S. National Championships. In 2016, she won gold at the AMBC Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Argentina on her 21st birthday. In May 2016, she won gold at the World Championships. Later that year, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won her second gold medal in the women's middleweight division. She was also given the Val Barker Trophy, which is for the most outstanding boxer at the Olympics. Her two Olympic gold medals in a row made her the first American boxer to achieve this.

Her amateur boxing record ended with 77 wins (18 by knockout) and only 1 loss.

Professional Boxing Career

Claressa Shields in 2016

Starting as a Pro

In November 2016, Claressa Shields became a professional boxer. She won her first professional fight against Franchón Crews-Dezurn.

On March 10, 2017, she fought Szilvia Szabados for the North American Boxing Federation middleweight title and won by TKO (Technical Knockout). This was a big moment because it was the first time a women's boxing match was the main event on a major U.S. TV network.

Becoming a Champion in Multiple Divisions

On August 4, 2017, Shields won her first major world titles. She defeated Nikki Adler to win the WBC and IBF super-middleweight belts. The referee stopped the fight in the 5th round to protect Adler.

On January 12, 2018, Shields defended her WBC and IBF super middleweight titles against Tori Nelson. She won after all 10 rounds, showing her skill and endurance.

Just her sixth professional fight, on June 22, 2018, Claressa Shields defeated Hanna Gabriel to win the WBA and IBF middleweight titles. She set a new record for becoming a two-weight world champion in the fewest professional fights.

On April 13, 2019, Shields made history again. She became the undisputed women's middleweight world champion by beating Christina Hammer. This meant she held all four major middleweight titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) at the same time.

Claressa then moved down a weight class. On January 10, 2020, she fought Ivana Habazin for the vacant WBC and WBO light middleweight titles. Shields won by unanimous decision, becoming the fastest boxer, male or female, to win titles in three different divisions.

On March 5, 2021, Shields defeated Marie-Eve Dicaire to become the first boxer in the "four-belt era" to hold undisputed titles in two weight classes. This means she held all four major belts in both middleweight and light middleweight.

Return to Middleweight and More Titles

Shields continued her winning streak. On February 5, 2022, she faced Ema Kozin and won by unanimous decision, keeping her WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles. She also won the WBF female middleweight title.

A highly anticipated fight happened on October 15, 2022, when Shields faced Savannah Marshall. Shields won by unanimous decision, becoming the undisputed middleweight world champion once again. This fight was historic as it was the first time two female boxers headlined a major venue in the United Kingdom, and it was the main event of the first all-female boxing card in the UK.

On June 3, 2023, Shields defended her undisputed middleweight title against Maricela Cornejo in Detroit, Michigan, winning by unanimous decision.

Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion

On July 27, 2024, Shields challenged Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for her WBC heavyweight title. Shields won the fight by TKO in the second round, also winning the vacant WBF heavyweight and WBO light heavyweight titles.

On February 2, 2025, Claressa Shields faced Danielle Perkins for the undisputed heavyweight championship. She won by unanimous decision, becoming the only three-division undisputed champion, male or female, in the four-belt era.

On July 26, 2025, Shields defended her undisputed heavyweight title against Lani Daniels in Detroit, MI. She won by unanimous decision, showing her dominance by landing many more punches than her opponent.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

In November 2020, Claressa Shields signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) to compete in mixed martial arts (MMA). She started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and at JacksonWink MMA.

Shields made her MMA debut on June 10, 2021, against Brittney Elkin. She won the fight by technical knockout in the third round. Her second MMA fight was on October 27, 2021, against Abigail Montes, which she lost by split decision.

In August 2023, Shields re-signed with the PFL. She faced Kelsey DeSantis on February 24, 2024, and won by split decision. On May 19, 2025, Shields announced her retirement from MMA.

Personal Life

Shields and Vice President Joe Biden in 2012. Shields introduced Biden during a 2012 campaign stop in Michigan.

Claressa Shields is from Flint, Michigan. She found strength in her Christian faith and is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports, a group that helps young people through sports. She also champions gender equality in sports, especially in boxing.

In 2021, Shields followed a pescatarian diet, meaning she ate fish but no other meat. On June 19, 2022, her hometown of Flint, Michigan, honored her by renaming a street after her.

Professional Boxing Record

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Boxing Titles and Achievements

Claressa Shields has won many important titles in boxing:

Major World Titles

• WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and WBO light middleweight champion
• WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO middleweight champion (twice for WBO)
• WBC and IBF super middleweight champion
• WBO light heavyweight champion
• WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO heavyweight champion

Other Important Titles

• WBF middleweight champion
• WBC Silver super middleweight champion
• WBF heavyweight champion
• NABF middleweight champion
• The Ring magazine light middleweight and middleweight champion
• Lineal light middleweight, middleweight, and WBAN lineal super middleweight champion

Undisputed Titles

She has been the undisputed champion in:

• Light middleweight
• Middleweight
• Heavyweight

Special Awards and Honors

• 2011 National PAL Championships Most Outstanding Female Fighter
• 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament
• 2013 and 2014 WBAN Top Amateur Boxer of the Year
• 2015 USA Boxing Female Athlete of the Year
• Awarded Outstanding Boxer at the 2016 World Championships
• Awarded the Val Barker Trophy at the 2016 Olympics
• Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation in 2016, 2019, and 2023
• 2017 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Award for "Biggest Powerhouse"
• 2017 USA Today Female Fighter of the Year
• 2017 Yahoo Sports Female Fighter of the Year
• Her boxing gloves were placed in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2018
• Inducted into the USA Boxing Alumni Association's Hall of Fame in 2018
• 2018 The Ring Female Fighter of the Year and Fight of the Year
• Received the Christy Martin Award - Female Fighter of the Year in 2018 and 2022
• Named Sporting News' Female Boxer of the Decade in December 2019
• WBA Female Boxer of the Month in March 2021 and February 2022
• 2021 ESPN Mid-Year Awards Best Female Fighter
• 2022 ESPN Women's Fighter of the Year
• 2022 WBA Female Fighter of the Year
• 2022 Sporting News Women's Boxer of the Year
• First woman to win the Best Boxer ESPY Award in 2023
• WBC Performance of the Year for her victory against Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in 2024

See also

In Spanish: Claressa Shields para niños

• Women's boxing
• List of female boxers
• List of Olympic medalists in boxing
• List of current female world boxing champions
• List of female undisputed world boxing champions